A group of clerks and a group of officers take a train to a conference. Each officer holds a ticket. But the entire group of clerks bought only a single ticket. The officers are just shaking their heads and are secretly pleased that the arrogant clerks will finally get what they deserve.

Suddenly one of the clerks calls out: âThe conductor is coming!â At once, all the clerks jump up and squeeze into one of the toilets. The conductor checks the tickets of the officers. When he notices that the toilet is occupied he knocks on the door and says: âTickets, please!â One of the clerks slides the ticket under the door and the conductor continues merrily on his round.

For the return trip the Officers decide to use the same trick. They buy only one ticket for the entire group but they are baffled as they realize that the clerks didnât buy any tickets at all. After a while one of the clerks announces again: âThe conductor is coming!â Immediately all the officers race to a toilet and lock themselves in.

All the clerks leisurely walk to the other toilet. Before the last clerk enters the toilet he knocks on the toilet occupied by the officers and says: âTickets, please!â

And the moral of the story?

Officers like to use the methods of the clerks, but they donât really understand them.